I’m excited for something from La Quince, although it isn’t a famous Black Velvet. Maybe a later date? Anyway, this is something that might tickle anime fans with the picture on the label, and maybe the name Angry Boy would make more sense to them too. It’s a DDH Cream IPA, which doesn’t sound like an aggressive or punchy style, but I have been fooled by light-sounding modifiers to IPA before. It’s a respectable level of alcohol at over 6%, so it shouldn’t be watered down in any way.
Very light – creamy- color, and almost whipped cream resting on top. Just popping the top of the can releases a slightly spicy fragrance. There’s a flowery perfume too, a sophisticated blend of hops. The taste is very subtle at first, but soon a little clovery sweetness makes an appearance, washed down by a light IPA bitter. Some spikes of bread also pop up. It’s a soft tasting beer, despite being double dry hopped, so maybe things got better kept in the aroma. There’s some sensation in the aftertaste, warming the throat and tickling the back of the tongue. It settles down into a pretty stable but layered flavor, a bed of bitter and a topping of sweetness. Much sweeter than you expect an angry boy to be.
Here’s something fall-like and appropriate, a wheat IPA! We’re back to Guineu and a very simply labeled WIPA, although I wonder if the color scheme is meant to be evocative. I kind of appreciate the inviting message on the yellow tape, though. Despite a certain sense of exclusivity, there’s always been at least the desire to have the door to the craft beer world open to all.
Mildly cloudy and a short but resistant head, the wheat comes through clearly in the aroma. Very bready and meadow-sharp. There’s some fruit lurking in there too, the ghost of the IPA I imagine. First the wheat beer glowiness slides in over the tongue, then a bitter boulder rumbles down. There’s kind of a fight between relaxed wheat and feisty IPA, a dance of different sides that kind of corkscrews its way down the throat. It settles down into a modest easy-drinking beer, although it might be a little too demanding for those who just want to have snacks, sit back and watch the tube or something. On a holiday eve, it could be a great choice for evening media consumption. Old Christmas movies anyone?
I eagerly await more dark beers as the month goes on, but something shiny is by no means unwelcome. I pulled out a sunny little can of imperial sour, another Guineu, this time with Màger. Fested Mind has some extra special ingredients – orange and white chocolate – which you might link to the season. I don’t mind a little orange with my beer, but orange and chocolate leaves me somewhat cold. Maybe that goes with the season too.
There’s that gassy smell that many sours seem to have, but with the essence of grape and a little plum mixed in. The color is juicy, the beer isn’t especially clear, and the head fizzles away in seconds. The flavor has a lot of sour candy in it, alternating between Jolly Rancher and mild lemon candy. It feels a little thicker than a lot of sours, leaving a little stickiness in its wake. Interestingly, I don’t really identify orange or chocolate in the flavors, although if I make an effort I can just pick out a touch of citrus. It’s bright and perky, so not quite what I naturally turn to at this time of year (who am I kidding, any time of year), but it’s like a dessert or special treat to add some light to the dark days of the season.
Beermad is back in force, doing its biannual meets, and once again it was in Casa de Campo. The space has been alright, although not quite as well equipped with toilets as Caja Mágica was; still, a bit better than the port-a-potties outside the Railroad Museum. I had been thinking about heading up to the Barcelona Beer Festival sometime soon, but it turns out it was the very same weekend this year. Oh well, another time it shall be…
Being the antisocial introvert that I am, I got my ticket for Sunday morning, since I figured there would be fewer people desperate to get in. I was right, it was pretty calm in the beginning, although I have to say it was a little sadly calm. People did fill in over the next couple of hours, but the space felt empty somehow, like there weren’t as many stands as other times and less movement in general. It could have just been my impression. I will say that they did not have such loud music as last time, which I appreciated.
Another thing I am is a sucker for black beers and I did go looking for one to start with. It was a slow start, relatively, with Leoncia’s Irish Stout. Only 4.5%, but good color and appropriately stouty aroma. Nice head at first, but it dies off quickly. Vaguely bitter-toasty, with a light and fizzy feel, pretty much what I expect from the more moneyed stouts. It’s not a pastry stout or infused with any special flavors or barrel aging, it’s a very plain and straightforward kind of drink. A perfectly fine beer example, and one I would recommend over any number of macros.
Ever since I first saw their logo, I’ve had kind of a soft spot for 28030 Brewing. The tree of knowledge, the play on the symbol of Madrid, it just fit too perfectly. And hey! The beer ain’t bad either. To go to an extreme, I chose Mango Vice Fruit IPA. There were actually a good number of fruity IPAs and the like to choose from, more than dark beers disappointingly, but I am happy to alternate. The appearance is very pleasing, cloudy and juicy, with a slightly herbal scent, and a thickish head that dies back to a thin mat after a few minutes. It has a very juicy taste, natural, like a fresh-crushed mango, and some slight orange juice in the background for some more liquid. It’s rather like a NEIPA at its best, although not using the name. There’s a touch of sweet, a thick but smooth feel, and some grassy/herbal aftertaste. It’s not cilantro exactly, but I feel like it’s in the family.
I go back to black and it’s GO! Gata Negra stout now. It was touted as very smooth, and indeed it is – light hints of chocolate, not as much coffee as you might fear. Some touch of sour lurks, like milk just about to go off, but it’s more yogurty than dangerous. It’s a little more delightful than the Irish stout, more in tune with my picky sensibilities.
I got roped in by La Candaja, ready to provide me with something to my taste. They were pretty sure their Pasión NEIPA would do the trick and by god it did. Super smooth, silky, leaves a feeling of peace down your throat. It’s not exceptionally aromatic, but tastewise it’s perfect – a little juice, a good amount of beer, everything softly blended for an exquisitely refreshing drink.
Still plenty to choose from, and I let my linguistic curiosity point the finger. Ossegg was back and I had to ask about their use of let for their flights, and I was told that it was chosen specifically to reflect the English usage. How about that! Also, apparently, vuelo gets thrown around in Spain, although I have not come across it that I recall. Another Irish style was on the menu, and I was told it was quite a treat, so I end with an Irish Red Ale. It is a nice rounded beer, only mildly bitter, with a whisper of grain and a pleasantly full mouthfeel. It’s a middle-of-the-road kind of red, without extremes of flavor, soothing, not hit over the head with bitter or punched in the gut with sweet. It’s very enjoyable on its own, although it has the feeling of a beer made with the intention of accompanying a meal. Maybe it’s time to look into an end of year dinner.
Back to basics, after reading up on German beer history. Feirabend (sic)! Dortmunder Export style! Naparbier! Ok, it’s not a German-made beer, but you can’t deny that Naparbier is a respectable and trustworthy brewery, voted best in Spain a few years ago no less. Although temperatures have gone down, and there’s even been some rain, there’s nothing wrong with having a nice, light, easy-drinking beer for an evening chat with friends. Not that I wouldn’t be happy with a stout, but sometimes that kind of darkness is threatening when you want to talk about freedoms and rights and…things you raise your voice about.
Very golden beer, fluffy white head, it’s a perfect example of the typical beer. It has a tiny bit of sourness in a grainy aroma, just enough to give it a little something unexpected. It’s just a little bitter at first, but suddenly an explosion of beery bitter wallops you in the mouth and disappears down your throat as soon as you swallow. It’s a little fizzier than I would expect, so the mouthfeel isn’t quite comfortable enough for quick drinking. It has a serious feel to it, while light in the mouth the flavor gives it weight and power. Without being too complicated the beer demands attention. The name fits perfectly in this case.
Labirratorium just rearranged their stock from country-based to style-based, which means all the stouts are right there! Of course, sometimes you want some national representative, but then you ask about it, the same as you used to when you wanted a particular style. Some people worry about their searching habits, but jeez, you can get used to anything and this isn’t even a weird change. I was very happy to find Laugar’s Soul Reaper Imperial Breakfast Stout right away. Yes, the name and label had something to do with its choosing. It isn’t that long til Halloween after all.
There’s just a whiff of chocolate stout, but definitely something there. It’s not especially heady, although the head that’s present it tight and resistant. Promising dark and opaque brown, very nearly black. Taking a closer sniff, there’s a more toasty background than obvious at first, but with a dusting of dark chocolate still on top. The chocolate comes out big on the flavor, giving you a good shove right up front. Then there’s a more licorice finish, typical for many stouts, which always makes me question my devotion. It feels slick and smooth, although it has a lot of body. It goes down pretty easy despite having plenty of weight, even with a tiny little kick at the back of the palate coming in on the swallow. A little spiciness builds up on several sips, something cinnamony and even a little minty, very Christmas-y I’d say. It feels like a good partner with gingerbread, for example. Even over time it stays smooth and satisfying, with little change in texture. It’s s solid beer, one that would tempt me every time. Even the licorice dies down after a while, nearing it to perfection.
Øl– is the Norwegian word for beer. The term is shared with other Scandinavian languages, and comes from the same root as English ale. A word related to English beer also existed – bjórr – which was borrowed into Old Irish, becoming Modern Irish beoir.
pint – is a unit of measurement that beer is often served in in drinking establishments. It is an eighth of a gallon or half a quart. The word entered Middle English from Old French, presumably from a Latin origin. Some suggest it is related to “painted”, referring to a mark on a container to show certain amounts. It is used to represent beer when going out to drink, especially in the UK, whether drinks are served in this amount or not.
So finally we had some rain yesterday, a good day for sitting in the window and sipping on a nice dark beer. I kept my porter until today, though. When I was browsing, there it was, sitting proudly on the shelf, all in its brown bottle, like a cone of chocolate. Onso porter might not have that chocolate touch, though, being porter rather than stout. There will probably be a little fruitiness to it, which is acceptable. Now that it’s not 100 damn degrees out, even a little black beer stickiness won’t be so bad. Cerveza Rodonda, show me what you got.
Extra foamy, and I’m a little surprised the bottle didn’t overflow on opening. The head is barely tinted beige, but the beer carries a pretty good dark color. It’s dark brown, not black, but good enough. There isn’t a strong puff of aroma at first, but letting it sit out allows just a hint of pickled plum to waft out and settle over the area near the bottle. In the glass there’s more of a light raisiny scent. The taste also has a lot of dried fruit rather than fresh, prunes and raisins over plums or apples. As a porter I would expect it to have some fruit to it, and along these lines. It’s a very subtle and unassuming flavor, displaying a little heft in the mouth but going down softly and not leaving hardly anything behind. Left to its own devices, the beer develops a wisp of smoke in the aftertaste, adding some interest and complexity to a solid but otherwise simple brew.
Squeezing in another purchase before a short vacation, I grab a couple of things from Birra Y Paz (they’re going on vacation, not me.) I feel like I ought to be getting some things that I don’t normally subject myself to, and actually the bars are full of various types of ale more than anything else. A lager here and there, but there’s a downright shortage of sours this year, plus the typical lower offer of stouts for the summer. As interesting as lambics are as a style, I just can’t get into them as much as a taste experience. I do, however, deeply enjoy a black currant drink. It’s one of Lindemans lesser-seen lambics, at least in Madrid, but I think Cassis is worth a shot.
Slightly winey smell, fruity, but old fruit. Like a lot of lambics, it has a deeply tinted appearance with the essence of its most promoted ingredient. It looks a lot like black currant nectar, in fact, but with a rosy head on top. It has that fruity lambic stickiness, and a good amount of sweetness with no bitter at all, very much like Mort Subité, for example. It’s maybe even heavier than currant nectar, with more body and staying power in the mouth. It builds in sourness, but maintains a refreshing cleanness to the flavor that allows it to take a place among summer beers.
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